The Public Health Division continues to actively monitor air
on a monthly basis in Portland and Corvallis, and sand, sea water and drinking
water on a quarterly basis on the northern, central and southern Oregon coast
for any higher-than-normal levels of radiation due to the Japan tsunami and
related radiation release. The air and precipitation data collection and
analysis at Portland and Corvallis is done in partnership with the EPA, and the
water and sand collections at the coast are coordinated by RPS.
At this time, Oregon environmental
surveillance data does not indicate higher-than-normal levels of radiation in
Oregon.
We are actively and on an ongoing basis monitoring the situation in
Japan, and will respond with enhanced efforts as appropriate. Here are links to
our most current data:
Water data (drinking, rain and sea): http://public.health.oregon.gov/HealthyEnvironments/RadiationProtection/RadiationMonitoring/watermonitoring/Pages/waterdata.aspx
All environmental surveillance data is available on these RPS
public web pages.
When it comes to the safety of fish that consumers purchase
and eat, other important resources are the Oregon Department of Agriculture
(ODA) and the FDA. ODA operates a Food Safety Program, and within that program,
a Seafood Program, which licenses wholesale seafood processors, and a Shellfish
Program, which licenses shellfish distributors, growers, harvesters, repackers,
reshippers, shellstock shippers and shucker-packers. However, in the case of
safety of fish and fishery products entering the United States
(ie, international imports), the FDA is the better source since such
marine-based foods fall under federal jurisdiction.
It's important to note that the message from numerous
scientists in academia and at federal agencies monitoring fish coming from Japan
-- either as imports or by migration and getting caught off Oregon’s coast --
has uniformly and consistently been that the trace levels of Fukushima-specific
radiation found in fish are detectable, but so low it’s technically challenging
to distinguish them from natural radiation sources in the ocean. Measured levels
all seem to be far below any health-based standard for radiation in fish.
Finally, here is a link to a useful fact sheet from the FDA
about seafood as it relates to the situation in Japan. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Emergencies/UCM253896.pdf
Also, here is the FDA's web page (with FAQ) that has the
latest information on its work to monitor the situation in Japan. http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/publichealthfocus/ucm247403.htm
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